


love in suzhou

by caesarions



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Fluff, Human AU, M/M, New York City, Single Parents, too much history i'm sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-28
Updated: 2017-11-28
Packaged: 2019-02-07 20:27:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,268
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12848883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/caesarions/pseuds/caesarions
Summary: A snippet from a human, single father AU set in New York City. Luca has his twin boys, the loves of his life, but he has also met a possible romantic partner. One sunny Saturday, early into their blossoming relationship, Luca takes everyone on an educational trip to The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Nothing more, and nothing less.





	love in suzhou

**Author's Note:**

> NAMES (updated from canon to fit modern times, or altered entirely because the italians' names suck):
> 
> china - wang min
> 
> rome - luca prisco
> 
> n. italy - angelo prisco
> 
> s. italy - andrea prisco 
> 
> ancient egypt - sekhet akil

“Fourteen dollars for a fucking sandwich,” Min grumbled, pulling out the lifeless plastic chair. The American Wing Café was carefully placed, a trap for lost and weary guests. After wandering an hour through the labyrinth of portraits and colonial furniture, fourteen dollars was well worth a place to sit.

“Shit. I meant fricking.”

Angelo waved two chubby arms in the air until Min lifted him up. He rested his hand on the boy’s head, patting him periodically like a dog.

“Well, at least it’s on a baguette,” Luca joked. Andrea was already backwards, buried in Luca’s chest. “Still, you didn’t have to pay for everyone.”

Min shook his head. “No, no,” he insisted, opening the fresh fruit cup for Angelo. “It’s fine.”

Min had picked out the cup with the least honeydew. He had refused to buy lowly peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the boys.

“I made a lot in tips at the bar yesterday,” he explained, forking a piece of cantaloupe. “I should put the money towards something more useful than Absolut. Do you know where we should go at the end?”

Luca grinned. “Where?”

While the boys were distracted, Min turned to Luca and mouthed his answer:  _gift shop._ Andrea had already taken a quarter of his father’s sandwich, despite having his own food. Once Min knew he was in the clear, he added, “Specifically the clearance one.”

“Oh, definitely,” Luca agreed. Both men laughed, finally tucking into their food. Quite offensively, the salad and sandwich were the same outrageous price, but Min was enjoying his champagne vinaigrette nonetheless. If only the merlot wasn’t twelve dollars.

Min shielded Angelo’s eyes arrow of bright light shooting in like Artemis’ arrow from Central Park. “Are we going to see the important things now?”

Luca gave an Italian pout. “What about my wing? We haven’t even gone left yet.”

“Now, now,” Min cooed, patting Luca’s hand. “We agreed we would go counter-clockwise, for efficiency. The Asian wing is closer, dear.”

Huffing, the other man crossed his arms. “I guess.”

“Besides,” Min added, “being at the end of the day will make it the most special.”

He glanced down to find a lethargic Angelo struggling with a grape. “...If the boys are awake to remember it.” Smiling, he cut the grape in half with a fork and handed one side to the boy.

Though massively overpriced, it was a special lunch.

“The Asian wing is actually a bit disappointing,” Min shrugged, now carrying Andrea in both arms, Andrea sucking carefully on a thumb. Though he was bit old for it, it was allowed today for the overwhelming crowd of people.

With Angelo riding on his shoulders, Luca turned to squint at his partner. “Then why did you insist we come here first?”

“Because it’s important!” Min reiterated. “It just has too many Buddhist things. And our collection is the same, if not smaller, than the other countries’, even though we have been around longer.”

“I feel like it’s bigger,” Luca huffed, setting a hand on his hip. “You have that entire court.”

“Oh, believe me,” Min grinned. “You and the boys will be getting a guided tour of the Astor Court.”

Before that, Min took them around the back rooms, eager to explain all the artifacts. Though the nuance would be lost on the boys, Min hoped to ingrain at least a bit of appreciation in their minds.

Luca and Angelo were at the other end of the room when Min began laughing at a plaque. Andrea looked at him with big eyes, and Luca came over a few seconds later. “What is it, babe?”

He was still smiling when he looked up. “Read this!” he commanded, pointing near the ancient white vase. “It is so funny.”

Squinting, Luca bent down and scratched his chin. Angelo  _whee’_ d on the dip forward, grabbing his father’s curls.

The plaque explained the deer-dotted vase’s purpose. In Chinese, “one hundred deer”,  _bai lu_ , sounded like the word  _bailu_ —the benefits accrued from a political career. Even before Luca was done reading, Min was giggling again. “Isn’t that so funny? Comparing it to deer. Imagine a politician just owning one hundred deer.”

“Sure, honey,” Luca said kindly, though looking confused. “Do you like puns?”

“Do I like puns?” Min set an offended hand on his chest. “Am I Chinese?”

Luca just rolled his eyes, leaning upand kissing Min’s temple. “What’s next?”  

Looking at the clothing pieces and accessories was Min’s favorite thing to do. Even the boys—fashionably dressed at their two fathers’ requests—seemed more interested than normal. Andrea’s eyes were wide as he inspected the gold jewelry. Min wanted them to get into the jade, but neither of them seemed particularly fond of green.

“Look, Angelo!” Min said, pointing to the nearest jade artifact. “Look at the jade brush set. Wouldn’t that be luxurious to use?”

The pair of dark eyes went wide. “Can I have it?”

Both men laughed. “If it was up to me, you could,” Min promised, reaching up to pinch Angelo’s chubby cheek. Giggling quietly, the toddler grabbed Min’s finger and smiled.

As they moved on, Luca and Min inspected a pair of jade pig statuettes with equal incredulity.

“Pigs… as a symbol of wealth?” Luca mused. “And it says they were buried with them to express the wish for wealth in the afterlife. I’d rather not be.”

“My ancestors can be strange,” Min shrugged. “Is it because they eat a lot?”

“Yeah, but so do I,” Luca insisted with a smirk.

Min punched his arm for arrogance and stepped to the next glass display case. “Well, stranger animals have been used in the past. This gold plaque states that cicadas were a symbol of immortality.”

Luca slung an arm around Min as he looked. “I think your ancestors needed more pets, babe.”

After chuckling, Min started, “Maybe. I—”

As he happened to look down again, Min noticed Andrea slapping his baby hands all over the display case, trying to get to the shiny gold. “Oh dear,” he sighed, pulling Luca closer to his chest. “You silly boy.”

“I got it,” Luca said, using his t-shirt to wipe the glass. It was a band shirt, and he was also wearing cargo shorts and socks with sandals. Min had graciously not commented on his dad-outfit the entire day. “There. Good as new.”

“Thank you,” Min grinned. “We should go to the court before the _law_  shows up.”

Holding hands now, they circled back into the Astor Court. Since they had been behind it, they entered from the side, into the furniture patio first.

“This room conflicts me,” Min sighed dramatically. “The Ming and Qing are a bit of a bore, but I love interior design. Doesn’t all the hardwood look splendid?”

“But not very comfortable,” Luca countered, grimacing. “The chairs have… a third of a back.”

“Fashion over function always,” Min huffed. They both carried the boys in their arms, allowing them a better look. The contrast between dark, earthy wood and snow white walls was stark; the ornate window was the only source of warm light in the room. “Minimalist and in touch with nature. That is what you need in a space.”

“I don’t think my place matches that description very well,” Luca thought aloud. “Maybe you can help me redecorate.”

For, Min was thankful for Luca’s timing. Reading the information on the walls, his reddening face was hidden. It seemed the same realization hit Luca, as he was also agonizingly silent now. The only sound was the boys squirming.

Perhaps Luca wasn’t actually hinting at anything. But if he was…

“Maybe.”

Eager to be alone, they entered the open courtyard and set the boys free. There was jovial screaming as the tots stumbled forward and followed the zigzag paths. “I wanna touch the plants!” Angelo announced.

“Well,” Luca said quietly, watching the boys. “What do you have to say about this 17th-century Suzhou residence?”

“You read the signs,” Min smiled, wrapping his arms around Luca’s one. Somehow, he wasn’t in the mood to be overly intellectual. He just wanted to be with Luca. “Nothing. Let’s go watch the fish.”

After about five minutes of quiet alone time in the glassy sun, the boys were ready to go. They had already found the white benches near the entrance, resting their poor toddler feet. When Min and Luca approached again, Andrea pointed across the cobblestone. “What’s that, papa?”

Min had neglected to explain the separate roofed shrine in the room. It was just a mangled, wooden statue circled by rocks. Luca shrugged as he picked up his son. “Modern art?”

“The worst kind of art,” Min agreed, cradling Angelo in his arms. He looked at Luca with a mischievous look in his eye. “It’s your turn now, dear.”

The Italian lit up almost immediately. “You’re done? How long can I take?”

Min laughed loudly and rested his chin on Luca’s shoulder. “Well, they close at nine today, but I am usually at home with a face mask on by then.”

The other man only huffed before making an exaggerated kissy face. “You just might have to skip that tonight.”

 

As they walked down the main hallway to the wing, Min looked up at the patterned gray ceiling. “I wish my place had high ceilings,” Min said. “It makes me feel regal.”

Luca laughed kindly. “I agree. I don’t know of anything on the market with high ceilings, though.”

Min shrugged. “Maybe I should live in a mausoleum.”

In opposition to the winding halls of the Eastern wing, the Classical wing was open and breezy. Passing by displays of Greek pottery, they were spit out in the center of it all. Heads craned back, they walked around half of a massive Greek column, the both of them uncomfortable with the size. Being short men, neither of them talked about the feeling.

Once they were in the main court, Min and Luca held hands. There were more contrasting dark blue floors and white walls, and the sound of running water could be heard. Min had Andrea perched on his shoulder to see the tallest of statues. Luca led the four of them around, educating them on the most interesting statues.

“Which one do you think I look the most like?” Luca asked sarcastically, pointing to a line of early imperial busts. He used his head to nudge toward Marcus Aurelius specifically.

“Please,” Min huffed. “Any answer is an insult. They’re all inbred. You look more like the funerary portraits we saw in the Egyptian wing. All those lovely curls,” Min cooed. "And camel lashes I would not hesitate to murder you for."

Luca pouted and deflated. “...Alright. That’s fair. Hadrian was pretty hot, though.”

Back in the center of the room, they stood looking into the midnight blue fountain. Angelo, especially excited about water, leaned away from Luca and attempted to grab the sides. “I want a coin! Toss!”

Both men laughed, but Min was the only one with arms available to get his wallet. He grabbed the designer leather, getting out two pennies for Andrea and Angelo. Both boys grabbed at the coins, excited. Luca gasped, realizing he had to move quickly, positioning the boy so his coin actually made it in the fountain. It was a loud splash for a such a small boy. Luca, who had been holding onto Min’s hair, timidly dropped his in the water. “Will it come back?”

Min smiled and patted his chocolate hair. “No, but I can get you another one. Perhaps there is one of those penny machines around here somewhere.”

Since they had some extra time, they decided to climb the stairs to the Etruscan wing. Min loved balconies, as he had made them traverse the balcony with Chinese pottery, and Andrea would love the shiny gold jewelry. If they had a place together, Min would definitely fill it with the elegant black bucchero in the room. He also had to spend extra time letting Andrea stare at the matching sets. “I would wear those too,” Min giggled to the boy, pointing to some square golden earrings. “Do you think we can get some?”

From the other side of the room, Min heard Angelo say, “Papa—can we get a chariot?” Min would have been worried if he did not see them staring at the famous Monteleone chariot in the room.

“Yes, sweetheart, I’ll try to make one,” Luca responded, tickling Angelo’s stomach. As Angelo laughed, Min looked at Luca’s melting, affectionate face and smiled.

Descending into the Roman wing again, Luca started buzzing with how excited he was to show off the wall paintings and pottery. Min could understand both, and he was glad to listen since he had shown the same things to Luca.

“Last time I came here,” Luca said, “the Augustan room was closed. I mean"—he gave a roll of his hand—“not that he couldn’t use the ego check. Still, look at this sculpture. You know, I want to see if there’s any other late Republican pieces. The work from then is so interesting—you can really see the turmoil of the era, you know—"

“What about the sarcophagi?” Min asked, sauntering to the side of the gallery. He observed the marble boxes with morbid curiosity. “I cannot believe you would be buried in this. If we run out of marble in the future, I am blaming your ancestors.”

Luca shrugged innocently. After coming over, he took the time to explain the Triumph of Dionysus scene on the front. Only somewhat familiar with the gods, Min had to especially pay attention. And, in his element, Luca was talking ten times faster than normal.

“—And these, look; it’s strange how abstract the funerary art becomes—"

Min shook his head at the simply, wavy design, but couldn’t help but grin.

“But, you’re dramatic. Wouldn’t you like to be buried in style?” Luca ended with.

Min tilted his head to the side. “You know what, I would. Would you do that for me?”

This time, Min had knowingly set him up for the intimate question. Luca just shrugged nervously and looked away. “If we make it that long, I would buy you a marble sarcophagus.”

Once Min was told the wall paintings were mostly for interior decorating, he could finally get behind them. Luca even explained the mosaic floors and vases in such a jubilant way that Min left feeling like he understood all the references. Min almost wished there were togas that they could all try on.

But, as toddlers, the boys could only handle so many headless statues and golden diadems. As one last hurrah, Luca lead them to the gallery with a room that emulated a Roman bedroom.

The three-walled alcove had fabulous barred windows, and the painted walls bled teal and scarlet gods. It was dark, and there was nothing on the floor except one cot.

“How mundane,” Min mused, distractedly fussing with Andrea’s hair. “Are we sure this is the same society that made those elaborate marble sarcophagi? What are their priorities?”

Still, he walked around the roped perimeter to give Andrea the best view. Luca laughed. “The simple layout doesn’t mean anything. The best way too flaunt your wealth is to pretend you aren’t. I thought you liked minimalism?”

Min shrugged and rested on Luca’s shoulder again. “Well, I also enjoy a bit of luxury.”

Even after all their joking, Angelo was still yawning in Luca’s arms. Luca brought him to face-level, and Angelo idly grabbed his father’s cheeks and played with his stubble. “I know, baby. We’ll get dinner on the way home. It’s getting late.” Then, he turned to Min. “Can you still join us? I don’t have anywhere specific in mind.”

Watching a scene like that, how could Min refuse? He handed Andrea back to Luca and crossed his arms. “Of course, babe. But we have to go to”—he mouthed  _the gift shop_ —“first.”

This time, both boys were facing Min and could read his lips. “What? What are we getting?” Angelo asked, breathless. Andrea added stubbornly, “Is it for me?”

They settled on an agreement—Luca would pay for dinner, and Min would pay for the souvenirs. It was the only certifiable way he knew how to get the boys to like him. Luca wanted the boys to stick a certain price range, but Min convinced him to set Angelo and Andrea down and just let them run free.

“You would look especially good in some of these ties,” Min suggested as they waited in the corner for Luca’s children to finish.

“Are you telling me I don’t dress up enough?” Luca frowned. “I have to every week day for the office. I need to express myself on the weekends.”

Min looked down at the aforementioned socks with sandals. “I would never say such a thing.”

Angelo was the first to come back, holding a black cat plush with gold detailing. When Min inspected the tag, it was labeled as a Bastet plush. (The price also made the $14 sandwiches seem too cheap.) And, though neither of the adults were into Egyptian things, Luca happily texted a picture to their mutual friend Sekhet. She would have appreciated the celebration of her ancestors, but really, Angelo’s reasoning was just the fact that it was a kitty.

A few minutes later, Andrea came back with a knit red and yellow crown. Made out of wool, it read  _The MET_  in big letters. Min laughed sweetly as he leaned down and kissed Andrea’s forehead. “I love it, dear! You have such good taste.”

Luca nodded in agreement. “I can’t wait until we send him off to school. Everyone will love his fashion.”

“Yes,” Min mumbled quietly.  _We_.

It was a hefty bill but worth every penny. Angelo carried his plush, now named Meow Meow, and Andrea wore his crown out of the museum. On the grandiose steps, Angelo gasped when he saw the rosy sunset tinting the fountains out front. He made them visit the fountain, just like he had that morning. They set the boys down on the edge where the bench was. “Don’t get each other too wet,” Luca warned.

Luckily, it seemed they just wanted to look at the sparkling water. Min and Luca let them have their fun and stood off to the side in the middle of the tree-lined patio.

He watches the boys act out a scene with Meow Meow, feeling his face grow soft like Luca’s had. After a few minutes, he turned to Luca and sighed.

“What is it?” Luca filled the silence when Min hadn’t elaborated. “Did you have fun today?”

“I did,” Min assured him. “I just wanted to apologize for reacting so negatively to them at first.”

“Oh,” Luca said, facing the boys again. Neither wanted to relive their fights about Luca having children. “No, it’s okay. I can understand now—it’s a lot of work that isn’t yours. I would’ve reacted the same way in my past.”

“I guess,” Min shrugged. He smiled a bit, at least glad he had said something. Andrea was pursing his lips and looking for pennies to pick up now. “I was definitely in the wrong.”

The silence felt much more comfortable now. After a few moments, Luca looked at his watch. “The dinner rush is almost over now. Wanna go to Grazie down the street?”

“Of course,” Min grinned. He grabbed Luca’s chin and leaned down to kiss him chastely on the lips, smiling all the while. “I love Italian.”


End file.
